Memories of a Forgotten Hell
by Phoenix-of-Vengeance
Summary: In a post apocalyptic world, the hunters must find a way to restore a comrades memory and figure out who wants her dead and why. (yeah, short i know, i suck at summaries.)
1. Chapter 1

_**Memories of a Forgotten Hell**_

(Yes, another DMC fanfic from me, so sue me, it's what I'm comfortable with. A/N: I do not own DMC or any of the characters, weapons, yada, yada, yada, you know the drill. All rights belong to Capcom ~M.G.~)

"Wait, wait, wait, you're not going to tell her?" A female voice asked.

"After what's happened, don't you think its best that she's forgotten him completely?" A male voice replied somewhat bitterly. "He already thinks he killed her so he won't be coming back for her, this is over with. I've had enough of his shortcomings over the years, I won't stand by and let him do this to her."

"But Dante, she's-"

"This is why I feel that this is the best course of action." He replied again. "He can trek through Hell for his sins for all I care; you don't treat family this way."

"So, that's it, we just lie to her?"

"For now, it's probably the safest route we have until she recovers."

"I sure hope you're right."

 _ **~THREE YEARS LATER~**_

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" Dante, a devil hunter in the now post-apocalyptic world, chastised his wounded female comrade. "Dammit Ailie-"

"Behind you!" the woman yelled, aiming her still smoking Beretta over his shoulder and letting loose a barrage of bullets.

Dante turned, easily slicing through the nearby demons with his giant broadsword, Rebellion. The creatures disintegrated into sand before disappearing into the ground. Soon they were all slain and the two hunters were able to regain themselves.

"Showoff…" The woman named Ailie muttered as she leaned against a nearby light post, fighting to catch her breath.

Dante turned to her, his cerulean eyes worried as he took in the woman's disheveled appearance.

She was hunched forward against the wave of pain that radiated through her; a long gash in left side just beneath her ribs was still seeping blood. Her usually flawless pale complexion was now sallow and splotchy; her breathing was slow and labored as well. Her delicate features scrunched in concentration as she fought to stay upright.

But the most disturbing part of her appearance was how dull her normally bright green eyes were. As if she was already dead.

"C'mon, we need to get you back." He tells her, placing the large sword back into its holster on his back.

"I'm…okay." The words were forced, as if speaking hurt.

"Hmph, like hell you are, quit being so damn stubborn."

Before she could reply with a scathing retort, another wave of pain flared again and she groaned against it.

"No more talk, we're getting you back now."

He walked up to her and put one of her arms over his shoulders; he would have rather picked her up, but she would have protested fiercely against it, instead he just helped her walk back to the shop.

A small gust of wind picked up as they made the trek back, ruffling the coal black tresses of Ailie's hair.

"How are you feeling now?" He asked after they had walked a few blocks; knowing full well she was in a lot of pain and probably didn't want to talk. But these city streets had grown quiet over the past years. Surviving a near apocalypse had a tendency to make the world a lonely place when nearly three quarters of it had been eradicated.

"No better." Ailie answered slowly, her voice still strained.

"Well, we're almost there, then we can get you tended to and you can rest."

"'Kay…"

They were only a few more blocks from the shop when another of Dante's colleagues, a youth named Nero, who bore a strong resemblance to the half demon, joined up with them.

"Nothing on my, what the hell happened?!" He exclaimed when he was close enough to see Ailie was hurt, he quickly took Dante's place as the woman's helper, only he was able to lift her into his arms.

"Ambushed." Dante replied in a clipped tone. "No they still haven't gotten past Lucia's borders."

"Low levels?"

"Mostly Sloths, a few Marionettes and Scarecrows, and a Wrath. Guess what caused the most damage, as per fucking usual."

"Trish and Lady said since there was no activity on their end, they were going to look for supplies." Nero said after a moment's silence. "Which is good, ammo has been getting short lately."

Dante grunted. "Anyone hear from Lucia?"

"She said she needs one of us to go over there." Nero replied slowly.

"I ain't leavin' kid, you're gonna have to go."

The younger one nodded and cast the woman a downward glance, as if asking what, specifically, was wrong with her.

Dante didn't answer as they reached the cement steps of his home slash business, the devil hunting agency known as the Devil May Cry. He opened the door and scowled at the annoying bell that range overhead.

"I really hate that thing…" He muttered.

"Aw, it loves you." Ailie had tried for sarcastic, but ended up sounding hopeless and drugged instead.

"And on the couch she goes, it's closer and faster."

"You calling…me fat?" She panted as she was placed as gently as possible on the dilapidated red couch that had certainly seen better days. Stuffing fell from its sides and one side had been completely ripped open.

Nero chuckled quietly to himself. "Someone's in trouble…"

"You, shut it." Dante growled at him. "And no, I'm not calling you fat, Ailie; I don't have a death wish."

Ailie could barely manage a smile as she looked at her belly to inspect her injuries.

"Oh, holy crap…that looks terrible!" She gasped.

The wound in her side should have been mostly healed by now, her healing capabilities near equal to theirs; but it was still raw and profusely bleeding.

"That means somethin's in there." Dante told her.

"No shit…I could've….told you that."

"Nero, go get some gauze or, hell a towel or something, we need to stem that blood flow, and I need to see what's in there to get it out." Dante told him. "And you," He turned to Ailie. "We're gonna have to lose that shirt."

Here, she would definitely protest, normally. But now, she just nodded and made to reach for the bottom of the material as Nero left the room to search for the supplies required.

"Uh-uh." Dante stopped her. "You'll hurt yourself; I'll have to cut it off ya."

"You had better stop where you're supposed to…" She warned before sighing and pointing to her feet. "Left boot got a knife in there."

Dante retrieved the weapon. "Alright…ready?"

"As I'll ever be…"

Dante sliced the thin cotton material of her tank top, stopping just beneath her breasts and pulling the halves apart so he could see the wound. A large chuck of metal had pierced the normally flawless creamy pale skin, now staining it dull red with blood. There was no way to tell how deep it had gone, but it needed to come out fast.

Nero returned then with the materials and even some water.

"Thought this could help too-holy shit!" He exclaimed when he saw why she was still bleeding. "No wonder why you're not healed yet."

"Stop staring…" Ailie started, her voice strained. "And get it…out of me."

"Yes ma'am." Nero muttered petulantly, setting out his armful of things for Dante to use.

Dante grabbed a towel and pressed it firmly but gently against her skin, trying to stop the blood without hurting her too much more. It seemed his care wasn't necessarily needed as she cried out anyways.

"Fuck…" She swore quietly. Dante tried to remove the towel but she stopped him. "Keep on…it's gonna hurt anyways…"

"Sorry 'bout that." Dante apologized as he sopped up most of the crimson life force that was still seeping steadily from her body. "I think I can see it now, though."

Indeed he was able to see that the metal was nothing huge, but it was very jagged and pocked with rust here and there.

"Good thing we don't require tetanus shots…" He half-joked, stopping when the female glared at him.

"Now this…is really gonna hurt."

"Don't tell me…just do it."

"You might wanna to grab onto something…" He warned her as he placed his hands on the intruding implement.

Ailie's slender fingers gripped the arm of the couch beneath her head, biting her bottom lip to keep from screaming if need be. In one swift and easy pull Dante removed the offending wedge and tossed it to the side, watching as the skin where it had been began stitching itself up slowly. Ailie relaxed a little bit at a time, beginning to feel tired now that she wasn't in so much pain anymore.

"I'm guessing it's from that Wrath you mentioned earlier?" Nero asked.

"Yeah…" She replied, trying to use her now ruined shirt to cover herself again.

"Do not move from that spot." Dante warned her as he got up to dispose of the blood-soaked towel. "Nero, can you clean her up please?"

"Wasn't planning on moving…" Ailie grumbled quietly to herself as Nero handed her a damp rag. "Why are you handing me that?"

"So you can…" He started.

"I'm kidding." She joked weakly before taking the rag from him and wiping the rest of the blood off of herself. "There, good as new, or almost anyways."

"You need me to get you anything else?" Nero offered.

"If one of you would get my blanket from my bed, that'd be great." She said, losing her battle with sleep as her eyes threatened to close while she talked. "I think I'll just pass out right here…"

"Okay."

 _ **~B~R~E~A~K~**_

By the time Nero had come back with Ailies blue microfiber blanket, she was already asleep, her breathing coming slowly and evenly now, which made Nero relax and feel better as he gently placed the blanket around her shoulders, Dante watching from the kitchen doorway. It was old and worn, she really should replace it, but there was so much sentimental value it possessed to not just her, but everyone else as well.

It had been the only thing of hers that survived an explosion that nearly killed her three years ago. It had been a gift to her from Nero's father, Dante's brother, Vergil. Not that she even knew that anymore. Any memory she's ever had of the last twenty or so years had been erased as she suffered from amnesia from the accident. They had all thought her memory would restore itself with time, but it never had. Dante had made the executive decision to fill in the blanks, conveniently leaving out anything to do with Vergil.

It was believed he was involved somehow with the accident, but no one had any way of knowing for sure. When her memory failed to come back, they all assumed perhaps it were better they didn't know the entire truth and were left to make their own conclusions.

Dante watched the sleeping woman that was his sister-in-law as his nephew tended to her like a fretting hen. His anger started to flare a bit as he thought about everything that had happened to her.

She had married his brother, changed him for the better, helped him raise Nero though she wasn't the boys real mom…and he had repaid her by nearly killing her before disappearing off the face of the earth. Now, she thought she was just a colleague to the business. When she had woken up in the hospital with no memory of the last nineteen years, it had crushed Dante when she'd asked him how he got so old when she'd only seen him a few days ago.

Ailie had once been called Andorra, and she had lived life on the rough streets nearly by herself. She had ended up in his shop one night cold, wet, and shivering as she took cover from a storm. She'd looked so pitiful, nowhere near the powerful woman he now knew, she was a just a pathetic looking teenager with nowhere to go.

And so he's offered her place to wait out the storm, some warm food and hot shower before she thanked him and ambled about her way the next morning. She'd floated in and out since then, coming around more frequently as she got close to him, eventually coming around just to do so and not because she needed or wanted anything.

That was what she remembered…

Dante sighed roughly as he shook his head to rid himself of the saddening thoughts.

"Hey." Nero said once Dante had come back to the present. "Now that she's asleep, we've got to talk."

"Why does the tone of your voice tell me I won't this one bit?" Dante asked, slightly annoyed now.

"Because I have unsettling news." Nero replied. "Lucia spotted someone very familiar in the next town over, the one we used to know as Noelleton."

"Wait, someone very familiar…you're not saying-"

"I am. He didn't see her, not as far as she could tell. She also said he looks very different than how we're used to seeing him. I don't know what kind of different or how, she just said he doesn't look the same."

"Oaky, and?" Dante had gone from annoyed to pissed in about a half a second.

"That's why she wanted one of us to go there, to help do recon on him."

"I ain't going nowhere with her injured, especially with him out and about now, you go on ahead, I don't want anything to with that son of-"

Nero leveled his double-barreled revolver in Dante's face.

"I understand you're obligated to your opinion, but this is my father we're talking about." He threatened the elder hunter. "I'd appreciate it if you kept it to yourself."

The two stood in silence for a moment before Nero lowered the gun.

"Y'know she acts like him sometimes." Nero said as he put his weapon away. "Some of her mannerisms-"

Dante held up his hand. "I've noticed kid. Hell, they were married for twelve years before all this went down. They each adopted some of the others quirks during that period."

"She almost seems like her old self again, like she's remembering."

"It's just her body trying to tell her mind what's really going on." Dante replied tiredly, taking his usual seat at his antique desk. "Part of her wants things to go back to the way they were, and I guess the rest of her…really doesn't want to remember. Matier guessed that's why the amnesia is so extreme, which makes sense and all but…"

After yet another moment of uncomfortable silence, Nero sighed and spoke.

"So, I guess I'll take the other motorbike."

"Go ahead, it ain't like we need it right now."

As he left the shop, the younger hunter took one last forlorn look at the woman lying on the couch, the woman who he'd known as a mother nearly all his life.

"I hate lying to her." He muttered.

"She's safer this way."

"Is she really Dante?" He asked, frustrated by all of this. "What happens if by some miracle she does happen to recover her memory? How do you think she's gonna react to all of this, to all of us hiding everything from her for this long?"

"Shouldn't you be leaving?"

Realizing he wasn't getting any answers this way, Nero slammed to door behind him.

"Get mad all you want ya little punk." Dante muttered crossly to himself as he heard the spare bikes engine roar to life before the squealing of tires soon faded from earshot. "I know what I'm doing."

The vintage rotary style phone rang just then, offering a much needed distraction as he picked it up.

"Devil May Cry, what's the- Hey Lady."

"You two make it back okay?" The female voice asked him over the line.

"Sort of, we're alive if that's what you're asking.

A sigh. "How bad is she?"

"She's fine now, resting on the couch." He answered.

"Good, glad to hear she's all right. What about the devils?"

"They haven't gotten past the borders and don't appear to be encroaching either. How much longer are you two going to be?"

"Couple of hours at least." Lady replied. "Why?"

"No real reason. Just remind me when you get here, there's something we all need to talk about."

Silence for a second. "Dante, is everything okay?"

"Just remind me so I don't forget."

"Okay…" Lady wasn't so convinced there wasn't something else going on.

"Later." He said and tossed the phone back onto its cradle.

 _ **~B~R~E~A~K~**_

Ailie woke up an hour or so later, her injuries now mostly healed. Her ribs were stiff and sore, and she knew she'd be bruised for a couple of weeks at least. She sat up slowly, wincing as her muscles protested against the movement, holding her shirt closed.

"Feeling better?"

Ailie looked around to see Dante sitting at his desk, a steaming slice of pizza in his hand and his feet propped up on the antique wooden surface.

"Much, yeah." She answered, standing slowly. "Sore and stiff, I'll be bruised for a while but otherwise I'm all right. Is that fresh?" She asked, indicating the slice in his hand.

"Yup, just arrived about ten minutes ago."

"Cool, I could use something to eat before I take a shower." She ambled over to the desk, grabbing a piece out of the cardboard box.

"They forgot to take the olives off again." He warned her.

Ailie shrugged. "I don't mind them, it's the green peppers I don't care for." She answered as she bit into hers. "Hmm, nothing beats a hot meal."

Dante nodded in agreement.

The pair sat in silence for a few moments.

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" She asked when she was halfway finished eating.

"Whatcha got?"

"Did I ever know someone who looks like you and Nero, but dresses differently?"

The hunter froze for a second before regaining his composure.

"Why do you ask?"

"I saw him in a dream. He was dressed in a blue coat and had spiked back hair, he was holding Nero as a kid… does that mean anything to you?"

 _Oh shit…how do I answer this…?_

"I felt like I knew him very well, but since I can't remember anything over the last nineteen or so years, I can't tell if it were just a twisted memory; or if it were real."

Luckily Trish and Lady showed up just then, distracting the both of them.

"We have found enough supplies to last us three months!" Trish, a blonde haired demoness fabricated in Dante's mother image many years ago announced proudly as she dropped a very large and heavy crate onto the hardwood floor.

"That's great." Ailie said, finishing off her pizza. "Y'all need some help moving-"

"Uh-uh, you're not lifting up on anything." Dante interrupted her. "Besides, I thought you were going take a shower?"

"Oh come on, those crates aren't that heavy!" She defended.

"You barely got off the couch without cringing, take it easy."

"I'm not gonna heal if I baby it-"

"And you'll get worse if you over do it."

"But-"

"No!" Dante cut her off and sat up straight in his chair. "Dammit woman, why are you so stubborn?"

"Maybe because I have to deal with an over-bearing ass hat like you all the time!" She fired back.

"And that's enough out of you two." Lady, a brunette human with heterochromia eyes of blue and brown interrupted.

Ailie huffed and walked off towards the stairs that led to her room. "You win for now." She grumbled as she ascended the rickety steps.

When she had disappeared into her room, slamming the door behind her, Dante sighed heavily.

"I don't know when she got so stubborn. She's acting more and more like _he_ used to."

"You don't think her memory…" Lady trailed off.

"I'm not sure. She told me a minute ago she saw him in a dream, well looking back now it's a memory, but yeah."

The two females looked at him, shocked.

"Oh and that's not all. Lucia called and guess who she saw in the next town."

"That's not good, especially for you." Trish said. "If she gets her memory back and finds out you lied to her, we're gonna have two rouges on our hands instead of just one."

"Now you know she won't go quite that far-" Dante started.

"And what about Vergil? If he finds out she's still alive after attempting to kill her…there's not telling what's going to happen. Have you even thought about this, prepared for it in even the slightest way?"

Dante was silent for a second.

"Look, he thinks she's dead and to her, he never existed. I can figure this out." He told them.

Both females sighed and shook their heads.

"What's that line you like to use?" Lady started.

"She's in your care, you know what's best." Trish said. "For now, why don't you come help us with these crates?"

Meanwhile upstairs, Ailie had stood in the shower, allowing the hot water to cascade down her back and hair, the water mingling with blood and going down the drain. Her muscles relaxed as the heat seeped into her skin, and she was able to bend a bit more without her movements being so stiff. As she scrubbed herself clean, she couldn't stop thinking about the man she'd seen while she'd been sleeping. Who was he? Why did she feel as though she knew him? Dante had never mentioned him when he'd tried to fill in the gaps of her memory.

Perhaps he'd been Dante's father, Sparda? No, he seemed much too young for that, besides he'd been with Nero as a kid. He had looked so much like Dante, but acted completely different. There was no way her mind was playing a trick and twisting a memory. Brother? No, she would have seen proof by now that Dante had a brother, or any living family aside from Nero.

She shook her head to clear it as she stayed standing underneath the water, depleting the hot water until it had started to turn cold against her skin. She shut off the faucet then and got out, wrapping a towel around herself. She was feeling like her old self again, and thought about what she wanted to eat.

"Hmm, since I'm injured and not feeling good, spaghetti sounds good." She muttered as she dried and dressed herself.

(A/N: yeah the ending of the chapter kinda sucks, my bad, I was running out of ideas. Anyways, please R&R so I can make sure I live up to your expectations, thanks guys! ~M.G.~)


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two**_

A few hours away in the next town of Noelleton, a red haired woman by the name of Lucia sat in a small café while she waited for Nero to arrive. He had called a little over ten minutes ago to say he was nearly there; she'd relayed her location and stayed hidden.

She was deep in thought when Nero slid into the booth with her, and he didn't look happy.

"Has something happened?" She questioned. "You seem troubled."

"The old man's a fucking idiot." Nero replied none too kindly.

"You still oppose his decision regarding your mother." She noted. "Has something happened?"

"Aside from she was injured, she's fine. Nothing different than usual." Nero reported. "It's just…it's the way she acts sometimes, how she seems like the Ailie we all knew before."

"How badly was she injured?" Lucia questioned.

"She had a twisted hunk of rusted metal jabbed into her ribs-"

"My goodness!"

"It's okay, Dante pulled it out and she was sleeping when I left. I'll have to call later and check in on her, but first…are you sure about you say you saw?"

"There is no denying it." She stated firmly. "It was him; he was here in this town today."

"That's what we were afraid of." Nero's voice was flat. "You said he was different and I wasn't able to listen very well, what did you mean?"

"His appearance has changed drastically; I almost didn't recognize him the first time. Had it not been for the unmistakable aura that radiated from him and the way he spoke…"

"He doesn't dress the same I take it?"

"Not only that, he has colored his hair and styled it differently. He almost looks like one of those, what do you call them…emo kids?"

Nero couldn't help but begin to laugh at the description.

"Holy crap, are you serious?!"

"Why is this comical?" She asked.

It took the boy a moment to catch himself and talk without giggling to himself.

"I just find it funny that's his disguise when he couldn't stand to see them in the streets."

"Oh. It's not a bad look for him."

Nero gave a short laugh.

"Not much looks bad on any of us if you haven't noticed."

"Anyways, perhaps we should get back to the matter at hand. He disappeared shortly after I spotted him, so I have no way of knowing if he knows I am here or not. I requested a partner so that in case he decides he wants a confrontation-"

"You do realize he could take all of us and still come out of top, right? He knows all of our moves and he's a strategist."

"The point I am trying to make…" Lucia spoke slowly and clearly. "Is that I did not want to be alone should it come to that. I had hoped Dante would come, it is his brother after all, but since you told me Ailie has been injured, he wouldn't leave her side, am I right?"

Nero nodded. "They're both stubborn as a mule."

"Do you think perhaps her memory is returning?"

"It's a definite possibility. She's acting a little more like she used to, I'm worried about what would happen if she does recover. Do you think…she might turn on us before going after him? And if he knows…?"

"I have been thinking on this for a long while as well." Lucia nodded as she answered. "I do not think she would hold any one responsible, maybe Dante. She may rage and vent her frustrations for a while, but she would calm down. Now, Vergil on the other hand…I have no idea what he would do if he found out his wife is still alive after attempting to kill her. Nor how he would react if she didn't remember him, or even if she did, there are so many variations as to what he could do, he never was easy to figure out. Enigmatic to the end."

"Yeah, it was hard growing up with someone whom would you couldn't pinpoint their reaction. I'm glad Ailie was around then, she kept me out of so much trouble…small stuff, things that didn't really matter. And to think…I didn't like her at all when she first showed up."

This surprised Lucia. "But you've always adored her."

"No, see when they first started dating, they kinda kept it from everyone. I was real small, and after losing my mother, I didn't want another woman pretending to be her. Plus, I was getting to spend more time with dad, and I was scared she'd take it away."

"But, you know better now?"

"Yeah. She was really nice; she didn't treat me like I was just her boyfriend's kid. She didn't try to take all his time either, even once they started getting serious."

"And how did you feel about that then?"

"By then I had started to warm up to her and looked forward to her coming over, or us going to see her. She didn't seem to mind me tagging along on their outings, in fact, I think she encouraged it."

Lucia smiled. Sometimes it was nice to reminisce.

"I can't understand why he wants to keep everything a secret."

"Perhaps it can be a shock, coming to with no memories, and finding out the main part of them, the man you loved for over a decade, was to blame for your condition."

Nero only shook his head and sighed.

"But she's stronger than that, I still don't understand."

"Dante's only doing what he thinks is best for her. He's always been protective of her when your father wasn't around."

Nero was about to respond when a waitress showed up.

"Sorry for the wait." She told them breathlessly. "Our other girl just quit, and we're already short staffed due to…everything and it's just me."

"That's no problem." Lucia told her. "For now I'll just have a water."

"Same." Nero muttered quietly.

"Alright, will you need anything else?"

"Perhaps later."

"Alright, it'll be a few minutes."

She walked off back towards the back.

"So, what are we going to do?" Nero asked Lucia. "About…"

"I guess we can just follow him around and keep tabs on him. See where he's going and whatnot." Lucia said. "So far, I haven't seen him go anywhere specific; he just walks around and then goes back to the hotel he's staying at."

"That's out of character for him too."

The waitress came back then with their waters, and they fell into silence.

 _ **~B~R~E~A~K~**_

"What are you doing?" Dante asked Ailie as she drained pasta into the strainer in the sink.

"I was hungry and no one else can cook my spaghetti." She replied simply. "It's weird, every time I'm sick or hurt; this is what I want to eat to feel better."

"Well you're weird and eat the weirdest comfort food ever."

 _Thanks to my brother..._

Ailie shrugged and transferred the pasta into the steaming noodles into the pot of sauce she had simmering on the stove. "It's done."

Lady had wandered into the kitchen then. "Something smells good…"

"Everyone's favorite." Ailie told her.

"Ooh! I'm going get Trish!" She said excitedly, dashing back into the living room. "Ailie made spaghetti!"

"Awesome." Trish called from her perch at Dante's desk during his absence.

"Is it really that great?" Dante asked.

"Maybe if you tried it, you'd find out." Ailie replied. "By the way, have you heard from Nero?"

"Not yet. Stop worrying so much, he's twenty four for crying out loud, he can take care of himself." Dante told her, still a little pissed at his nephew for their spat earlier.

"I know, I know." Ailie said, sighing as she fixed herself a bowl of the pasta before walking slowly back to the living room and taking her normal spot on the nearest corner of the pool table to the desk. "He just worries me is all, I don't know why."

Dante, Trish and Lady exchanged glances quickly.

"He's the youngest member here, we all worry about him." Trish spoke up.

Ailie nodded. "I guess so. Why did he leave?"

"Guess he needed some space or something." Dante lied to her. "You know how kids are, hell how you used to be." He was referring to her stint on the streets as a kid, the only part of her life she did remember. "The only times you came here when you didn't need a place to stay was to just chill for a while and unwind. Before you started staying around permanently.

"I almost miss those days." She said reverently. "Almost."

She started picking at her food, suddenly not as hungry as she first thought she was.

"Well, crud, this sucks." She muttered, setting her bowl down and fishing a billiard ball from the nearby corner pocket, rolling it around in her hands as she lay back on the table, her ribs barely hurting now.

"What's wrong?" Lady asked.

"I'm not hungry like I thought I was." Ailie answered, rolling the ball around in front of her face. "As I fixed that whole pot thinking I was gonna snarf most of it."

Dante eyed her warily. She'd displayed similar behavior before, but he couldn't be sure she was doing it again. It could just be because of her injuries.

"You feelin' alright?" He asked.

"Mostly. Just…drained from today I guess."

"I told you to rest and take it easy." He chided her lightly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" She mumbled tiredly, setting the ceramic ball back onto the green felt table and sitting up again.

 _Okay something's not right with her…_ Dante thought. "What's bothering you?" He asked, wary of her answer.

"It's that dream I had earlier." She answered. "That guy…like I said earlier, I feel like I know him, but you guys told me everything about my past and he wasn't in it. Hell for a second or so I thought he'd be Dante's brother, but that's silly. I'd have seen proof of that by now, even if he was dead or they just don't speak.

Trish and Lady fixed Dante with piercing glares.

 _Oh c'mon, NO!_ He silently told them, causing them to look away hastily

"I think your brain is just overworked from today is all." He started. "It was working overtime to try and distract you from being in so much pain, maybe?"

Ailie shrugged. "I guess that could make sense…well then I wish it would stop because it's starting to annoy me. It hasn't gone away since I got up."

 _This is not good._

"Why don't you get some rest and see if you feel better in the morning?" Dante suggested.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." She conceded and left for her room, locking the door behind her.

"Someone needs to make a plan, and quick." Trish gave Dante a pointed look as she spoke. "Her memory is returning, you can't deny that."

Dante sighed. "I know. If it progresses any more then we'll tell her everything."

 _ **~B~R~E~A~K~**_

Nero and Lucia had taken to the rooftops to see if they could spot Vergil on one of his walks, each nearing total boredom as they sat for hours and saw no sign of him. Nero's cell buzzed, it was Lucia telling him perhaps they should take a break and rest for a while.

Nero told her to go ahead without him; he would stay a bit longer.

She agreed and soon Nero saw her heading back to her hotel.

"I wondered how long it would take you to realize we were here." He said once she was well without of earshot, turning around to acknowledge the person that had just materialized on the roof behind him. "We all thought you long gone by now."

Vergil gazed, confused at his son, the normally piercing and judgmental cerulean eyes seemed hollow and empty.

"Why would you think that?" He asked, his usually cold and detached tone was hoarse and hollow.

"You sound terrible!" Nero remarked. "Jeez, what the hell happened to you all this time?"

"Hmph, I see that you have inherited your mother's tact." The elder son of Sparda was sarcastic now, seeming almost like his old self.

Nero noted how he had indeed changed dramatically; his once silvery-white hair that had been slicked back into regal looking spikes was dyed coal black and hung straight down into this face. The tanned skin had paled, and he no longer stood tall and proud like he once was.

"I know she's alive." He spoke again, he seemed agitated. "I know there is memory damage."

"I never told you she was dead, and I never planned to. What Dante has told her, I never agreed to. But since no one knew where to find you to maybe get your side of the story-"

"I was there during the aftermath." Vergil responded. "From the shadows I heard everything; he believes I am to blame, that I attempted to kill my own wife."

"You were there?!" Nero exclaimed. "Why didn't you come forward or say something?"

"I did not want to cause trouble. Andorra was in a fragile state of mind and I did not want to risk hurting anyone. I was angry enough that if I had gone anywhere near him, Dante would more than likely be dead now."

"That mad huh?"

Vergil strode forward until he stood near the edge of the roof, looking down onto the street below.

"Do you have any idea…?" He started. "How many times I've stood like this, watching her in the streets as she patrolled, and fought. How many nights I looked over the shop to make sure nothing attacked in the middle of the night, to ensure she was safe?"

"We never even knew you were around…"

"How extensive was her memory damaged?"

"When she woke up, she thought she was seventeen again."

Vergil sighed.

"Then she would have only known Dante then. She and I hadn't been acquainted then."

"Yeah, it surprised him how far back she'd regressed. The first thing she did when she woke was ask him when he got so old; she had just seen him three days ago."

"I see. What story has he fabricated for her to bridge the gaps in her memory?"

"One where you and she never met…" Nero started. "I had to start pretending she wasn't my mom anymore. She thinks you don't exist."

Vergil normally would have felt his temper flare by now, but he was more accepting of this type of news now. He had come to expect it.

"I suppose he thought this to be a good idea?"

"I don't know what he was thinking; I was in Fortuna trying to talk to Kyrie about our break up. By the time I got back, everything had been said and done and I didn't feel like arguing then."

Vergil was silent for a moment, searching his son's aura and finding a part of it secluded from the rest. He may have moved on, but a part of him would always care for the human girl in Fortuna, the breakup had shaken him severely. Add to that fact at the time his mother no longer knew him, it was no wonder he had hidden part of himself away.

"I am curious as to why my brother believes I had anything to do with Andorra's accident."

"…You were there, weren't you? You had come home just before I left or so I heard-"

"I did nothing of the sort; I was in New Zealand on business." Vergil said indignantly. "If my times are correct, I had only been there a few hours when the accident happened."

"Then explain to me how you managed to be in two places at once." Nero demanded.

"I have none." Vergil conceded. "As far as I know, there are no other demons capable of changing their appearances aside from Doppelganger, and he is usually connected to whomever is channeling his abilities."

"Are there any other copy demons floating around?"

"Did I not just say that I know of no others?"

Nero tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"One comes to mind, a Changeling."

"Supposedly those have been eradicated." Vergil told him. "Even if there were any, they are a peaceful race and do not harm humans."

"About that…" Nero started. "Did you know that mom's not exactly human?"

Vergil stared blankly at him, at a loss for words for once.

"How many other secrets have been hidden from me?"

"Oaky then, so either she was damn good at hiding it, or the explosion awakened her abilities." Nero answered. "One thing we do know for sure, she's not a demon. Lucia searched her aura and found nothing demonic, nor did sense anything similar to ours. She said whatever Ailie is, she's never come across it before. Said she was special."

That, I will agree on." Vergil responded. "So, it seems that we must find out her identity first, if we are to identify her assailant." He was silent for a long while, long enough that Nero began to grow a little nervous wondering what the Dark Slayer was thinking.

"If I cannot be near her, that can prove difficult.

"If you have a phone, I can update you on whatever we find." Nero told him. "We've been researching everything we could find since then. So far though, we haven't found anything."

"I do, yes."

Nero relayed the number, knowing Vergil would be easily able to recall it when needed.

"The only time I won't pick up is when I'm on an assignment." Nero explained. "I mostly keep Ailie company, especially when she's injured, like she was today."

"How badly?" Vergil asked, concerned and little impatient to hear the answer.

"She's fine, healed up nicely." Nero answered. "She'll be bruised for a week or so, meaning Dante's gonna harp on her for every little thing."

"He's protective of her. He has many reasons to be."

"I understand that, but she also knows her limits. I just wish he'd back off sometimes."

Vergil regarded his son for a moment.

Nero had always known Andorra as a strong-willed and independent woman; he had never seen her in a position that she would need help from anyone as she was always there for everyone when needed. Vergil assumed it bothered the boy to see her being coddled to, and lied to, just to be "protected" from the truth.

"I assume she's hunting now?" Vergil asked, hopefully to distract the boy. "If she was injured."

"No, she just does patrols; she doesn't actually do the dangerous stuff. Today was a freak accident, they were ambushed near the outer borders."

Vergil sighed, a little disappointed.

"I had hoped she would never become involved with this part of our lives…but now, what can be done?"

"She enjoys it." Nero said with a shrug. "Though it's hard to tell sometimes."

"Her personality has changed?"

"No, she's pretty much the same; still has those moments when she opens her mouth and you come out of it."

Both men chuckled lightly at the comparison before Nero's cell buzzed in his pocket.

"Just a second…hello? That's not fair! Well save me some for when I get back. Later."

As he clicked off the phone, Vergil could see a smile playing on his spawn's face.

"What is being saved, if I may ask?"

"The World's Best Spaghetti." Nero replied.

"She remembered that, of all things?" This surprised the elder man.

"Well, see what had happened was…I was trying to make it, and almost ruined it, so she stepped in and it kinda went from there."

Vergil nodded.

"Is there any hope of Andorra's memory recovering?"

Nero paused momentarily.

"I…and don't quote me on this…I think she may be starting to get some parts of it back, don't ask me why I feel that way, I just do. And I don't think its gonna happen a little at a time either, it's gonna be all at once."

Vergil suddenly realized there was nothing more for them to discuss and turned to leave.

"Update me as often as you can." Was all he said before he disappeared.

"Hey, wait!" Nero called, but it was too late. "Dammit, I didn't even get to say goodbye…"


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three**_

 _ **~T~H~R~E~E~ ~D~A~Y~S~ ~L~A~T~E~R~**_

"How many times do I have to repeat myself?" Nero asked exasperatedly for what felt like the millionth time since he had returned to shop.

"Are you absolutely sure you he wasn't doing anything that could be-"

"Yes!" Nero snapped finally. "Now will you leave me alone?"

"All right, all right." Dante said defensively, giving up finally.

"How's she doing?" Nero asked, trying to change to subject.

"Aside from the bruising and a little stiffness, she's back to her old self. That woman doesn't know the meaning of the phrase take it easy. Now I know what he used to complain about…"

Nero had to agree with him there, Vergil had often mentioned being bothered by the fact Ailie never seemed to stop. She was always busy doing something, not one to just lay about and do nothing.

"She's been that way as long as I've known her." He said after a moment.

"Then something changed her, cuz she didn't used to be." Dante confessed. "She used to be a mess, never really caring how she looked, or about much else. I don't even think she knew what a broom was until I tried to show her."

Nero started laughing.

"And just what the hell is so funny kid?"

"You tried to teach her how to clean? When this place used to look like hell?"

"It's clean now, ain't it?"

"Thanks to her."

Dante sighed. "I'm just glad all of her records were erased when she turned eighteen and given a fresh start."

Nero looked at him curiously. "Huh? What records?"

"Kid, I can't tell you how many times I had to go and bail her out of jail for petty things. Mostly it was her trespassing somewhere, once it was for petty theft, she had to do community service for that one."

"And these wouldn't have come up in a background check?"

"Not if they were erased, I already told Vergil all of this, that's why he decided he wanted to do the background on her. Glad to see none of it changed his mind about her."

Nero just sat there with wide eyes. He'd never known these things about her.

"And then there's the three and half years we lost contact, I have no idea where she went. Was never able to find her until she just showed back up one day, the same woman we know now."

"Minus the last three years." Nero grumbled.

"Aside from that, whatever she did in that time sure was positive on her.

A thought came to Nero then, three years with no contact, maybe she'd awakened her creature? She would have kept it a secret until she found out about everyone else…but even then she hadn't come forward. If so, why not, what was she that was worth the secrecy?

Curious, Nero scrolled through his contacts until he got to the unlisted number Vergil had used. He wnet outside and dialed it, walking away from the shop so he was out of earshot, waiting for someone to pick up the line.

 _ **~B~R~E~A~K~**_

Ailie had been taking a nap, and now woke from a dreamless sleep as she rolled over onto her back. Her ribs protested some but she ignored it and forced herself to sit up. She pulled her long ebony hair from the bun she kept it in when she slept, the long tresses falling silky down her back to her waist. She rubbed her green eyes softly to wake up before finally getting out of bed.

She washed her face before changing into a pair og dark grey yoga pants and a white tank top, slipping her button down pajama shirt top over he shoulders before making her way downstairs to hunt down breakfast.

"Morning babe." Dante called to her as she made her way down the steps.

"You're up early." She noted. "Another restless night?"

"One call and it was bogus, old couple thought their shed was possessed…damn raccoon."

"We're not exterminators." She said as she opened the fridge, sighing heavily at the sight of all the old pizza boxes stacked precariously on the shelves.

"If you don't get rid of these by the end of the day, I'm chunking the entire thing in the dumpster." She warned, moving the boxes so she could get the gallon of milk she knew she'd just put in there yesterday.

"Some of those are fresh!" He argued.

"Right…" She muttered sarcastically, finding her item and closing the door, unaware Nero had just walked in behind her.

"Morning." He said.

Ailie jumped and nearly dropped the jug.

"Don't do that!" She scolded him lightly, giving him a smack on the arm. "Give me a heart attack why don'tcha?"

"Oops, my bad." He apologized with a chuckle.

"Your little trip go okay?" She asked, searching the cabinets for a clean bowl. "Crap, I never took them out of the washer…at least they're clean."

"It was uneventful." Was all Nero would say about his trip to Noelleton as he watched her put away the clean dishes from the dishwasher. "Christ woman, do you ever slow down, you just woke up."

"I take breaks." She replied defensively. "Besides I don't hurt much, I know my limits."

"And often times you like to test yourself by pushing past them, sometimes causing more harm than good."

As the words left his mouth Nero was shocked. He had sounded just like his father then.

Ailie had given him a bemused expression.

"I've…heard that line before." She said wistfully.

Nero backed out of the kitchen to give Dante a 'get over here and help me!' glance.

"Heard what line?" Dante asked as he got up to join the conversation, already having eavesdropped.

"The one Nero just used, it's so familiar I know I've heard it before…but I can't place who used it."

"I remember saying something along those lines to you when you were a teenager." He said, hoping this would satisfy her.

"But it wasn't that specific line, not that I can remember…who used to say it just like that…?"

"How about, you think about it later, you may not be entirely awake yet and getting things confused."

"I guess so…" She admitted, a little suspicious. _It kinda feels like he's hiding something from me…but what?_

 _ **~B~R~E~A~K~**_

After Nero's call, Vergil had found himself wondering about Andorra's past. Yes, Dante had told him about her trials on the streets, and even after that, the background check he'd performed had returned little aside from a string of part time jobs.

Perhaps she had just wanted to be on her own. He'd suggested. But Nero had been adamant that perhaps she had known what she was all along, but didn't feel safe revealing her identity to them.

Vergil had agreed to try to figure out that lost chunk of time and hung up.

Now, he was contemplating how to perform such a feat…he would normally start by going down the list of her previous employers, but much of the city had been destroyed in attacks; there were none left…an idea struck him, his previous employer was still around, he had a hand in nearly every business operation within the tri-state area, perhaps he would know.

Now the only issue was finding the gentleman.

 _ **~B~R~E~A~K~**_

By the time night had fallen, Ailie found herself alone in the shop with a niggling sense of doubt and paranoia. Since this morning she had felt that something was being hidden from her, and she was determined to find out what it was. She picked every room apart before putting it back together. She had checked the attic and the basement, only to be disappointed. She had searched Dante's desk thoroughly before slamming the drawers shut and sighing in frustration.

"Dammit, whatever it is, it's not here." She muttered.

"What are you looking for?"

Ailie turned her crystalline gaze to see Trish standing on the balcony above, her arms crossed over her ample chest.

"I'm not sure, but I'll know it when I see it." Ailie answered a bit shortly. "I feel like you are all hiding something from me, and I wanted to know what it is."

"You're being paranoid." Trish replied lightly, making her way down the stairs. "We're not hiding anything from you, we're your friends."

"Then explain this doubt!" Ailie nearly yelled at her. Ever since I got injured and had that weird memory or dream or whatever and then this morning…Nero said something that reminded me of the same person…I just made that connection…who is he? Why do I feel like I remember him, but can't recall anything about him? No one has ever mentioned him before."

Trish stared at her for a moment before accepting what was happening.

"C'mon, it's time." Was all she said and headed for the back door that led to the alley.

"The shed?" Ailie asked, thinking it was the only reason Trish would come this way. "But it's just used for storage of old weapons, right?"

"No." Trish replied solemnly as she strode across the barren cement expanse to the mobile structure that had stood there for several years now. "It's used for something more important that old weapons and items. All your questions and doubts will be answered in here.

Trish moved a small rectangular panel to expose a keypad and punched in the six numerals required to open it.

"That's why that number keeps popping into my head…" Ailie mused as Trish pushed open the metal door, a motion sensor camera causing the lights to come on.

The small space was crammed neatly with boxes, all labeled with simple things such as Photos or Videos, there were even some labeled Clothes and Dishes.

"How many years of stuff is in here?"

"Twenty years, if not more. Everything in here…" Trish explained. "Belongs to you, and Nero, and…well….here." She had grabbed a large photo album and handed it to Ailie. "Start with this."

Ailie looked down at the album, eyes widening when she saw what it was.

"I was married!?"

"Technically, you still are." Trish answered, opening the first page. "To him."

A preserved photo of Ailie and Vergil standing together on the day of their wedding stared back at her.

"It's…him…the one I saw before."

Trish nodded. "This year makes seventeen years."

"Seventeen…so I'm basically Nero's stepmom… how come no one ever told me any of this? It seems a fairly big detail to leave out."

"About that…" The two women turned to see Nero standing in the doorway. "Dante made an executive decision after the accident. We didn't agree with it, but we couldn't come up with any better ideas."

"What about him?" Ailie asked, pointing to the picture of Vergil. "What happened that you thought it was a good idea to leave him out of my memories?" She was starting to get a little angry now. "He's your father, Nero!"

"At first, we thought he was responsible for everything." He answered her quietly as he hung his head. "It really would have shocked you to recount the last twenty years of your life, and during that time to know you were married but the one you loved is the reason you ended up nearly dead. WE didn't want to do any more harm, we thought you'd recover your memory with time but it just never came back, so we kept the secret. But now that you know…"

Ailie took a deep breath and let it out shakily.

"Mom?" Nero asked, finally able to call her that again. "You all right?"

A tear escaped her eye and she brushed it away. "I will be." She answered slowly, turning to look back at the other boxes. "How long until Dante gets back?"

"A few more hours." Trish said. "He stopped at the Bull's Eye on the way back. How they managed to spare the bar in the aftermath is beyond me."

"Good, come and get me when he gets back." Ailie said as she sat on the dusty floor and flipped slowly through the album, recalling forgotten times. "I'll be here re-acquainting myself with my past."

"You want me to-"

"I'd like to be alone." Ailie interrupted Nero. "Thank you."

The other two nodded and left her to herself as she stared at the pages. Photos of her in her wedding dress, of the two of them at the altar, at the reception…who had caught her bouquet? Lucia had. She searched through many other images in the boxes as well. The photos triggered her memory and she grabbed her head as every forgotten moment came surging through her mind, making her feel as though she was suffering from the world's worst migraine, but really she was sad she had allowed such times to be forgotten.

Once her head had stopped buzzing, Ailie stood, her old self once more, with only a tiny fraction of her memory unrestored. She tucked the wedding album beneath her arm and headed back inside.

"I'll give him fucking bull's -eye…" She muttered to herself.

(A/N: sorry if this one seems a little shorter than the last two, there were a lot of extraneous details I had written down and they weren't really needed here. Mostly repeats, which I feel is already too common in the story…I'm working on that. Anyways, lemme know what you think if you can. ~M.G.~)


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**_

(A/N: all right, anybody else has been waiting for Ailie and Dante's showdown? I had fun writing this one, hopefully I don't disappoint anyone. ~M.G.~)

Vergil had just found a way to contact his previous employer when his phone buzzed.

"Yes?" He answered when he saw Nero's number. "I see…then I shall be there in a few hours. How is she? Ah, it is regretful I shall miss it. The same to you."

Abandoning his search, Vergil made for the motorbike he had bought cheaply and raced back home.

 _ **~B~R~E~A~K~**_

 _ **(Showtime!)**_

Ailie had waited patiently for Dante to return, slowly loading her .9mm Beretta and several other magazines, effectively making the other hunters nervous. She had placed the album on the desk to fully catch his attention, hoping he would see it before he sat, making him an easier target. She finished the other clips and lined them neatly on the edge of the beaten green velvet of the pool table before cocking her gun and laying it on her knee.

"Just so I'm clear on this…" She turned to the other four, Lady and Lucia having shown up a little while ago. "This was all his idea and no one else really wanted to go along with it, but had no better ideas at the time, correct?"

Murmurs of agreement faintly sounded from her comrades.

"Then all of my bullets are meant for that thoughtless ass hat. Perfect." A sadistic grin crossed her features. "Oh, won't this be fun…"

"I want to watch the show!" Nero said with his own twisted smile. "It's about time-"

"I suggest you guys leave." Ailie interrupted him. "I don't want to shoot anyone that doesn't deserve it."

"Aww!" He protested.

"Good idea." The two women agreed, pulling Nero along behind them. "C'mon, don't fight us."

They had been gone about twenty minutes when Dante finally ambled into the shop, the tinkling of the bell above the door announcing his arrival. Ailie fired off a shot at the annoyance, the metal twisting into an unrecognizable shape as it thudded dully to the floor.

"So it finally got to you too, huh?" Dante asked her, smiling as he made his way to his desk. "You got some more practice in, I see?"

"I'm about to…" She replied too sweetly as she turned the pistol over in her hands.

"Need some pointers-" He started before his eyes caught the object on the desk. "Where did you-?"

Three rapid shots rang out before he could react, the slugs slamming into his left leg and hip.

"No, but I could use a target." She growled as he slumped against the antique furniture.

"Wait a minute!" He groaned as she fired two more shots, these two embedding themselves in his chest.

"No." She said as she stood, aiming the still smoking barrel at him as she advanced closer. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say when you've been lying to me all this time. You bastard, I trusted you!"

As her rage built she kicked at his injured leg, but missed as he swiftly moved out of the way, removing the five bullets from his flesh, the skin where they had been healing nearly instantaneously. "Dammit, stay still…"

"Calm you tits babe!" He pleaded. "Look, let me explain, I did what I thought was best-"

"Bullshit!" She screamed, aiming another shot at his head, which he dodged. "You could have told me the truth, that was the best option available to you. Vergil trusted you to look after me while he was gone, not jump to crazy conclusions and lie to me!"

Another shot he dodged.

Another slug slammed into his right shoulder.

"That was three years of my marriage, of my life, that I can never get back! Did you even stop to think of what you put Nero through?! Dammit Dante, I've been the boy's mother for so long now, I feel like he's my own! Making him act like that; have you a heart at all?!"

Her comment made him mad.

"Look here!" He bellowed. "I did what I thought was best, not just for you, but for everyone else too!"

"Didn't I say I don't want to hear anything out of you?!" She retorted, firing the last shot of her magazine and missing him again. She reloaded quickly and aimed for him once more.

Dante could see the only way to calm her down was to subdue her. Much as he hated going up against her, he pulled Alastor from the holder on his back and pointed at her.

"If it's a fight you want, then c'mon!" He taunted her.

Ailie grabbed the Sais she kept at her hips, holstering the gun at the same time. With no hesitation, she charged him, weapons ready to impale. He blocked her and shoved her sideways.

"What's the matter darlin' lose your edge?"

In a move he wasn't expecting, she launched one knife, causing him to block that one and distracting him as she launched the other one. He managed to catch it before it impaled him through the forehead.

"And now I have your weapons," He teased her, holding them up for her to see. "Are you done yet?"

Ailie fired off two bullets, making him duck to avoid them.

"Guess not…" He said, tossing them back to her. "How long are you gonna keep this up?" He questioned her tiredly.

"Until I've made my point!" She growled again, firing off five shots in a wide diameter, trying to hit him in any way she could.

"Shouldn't you know by now that won't work?"

"Quit being so cocky!" She yelled and charged him again.

 _Oh shit…!_ He thought as he holstered Alastor. Up close he wasn't sure he wouldn't actually hurt her. Ailie used a back roundhouse kick to try and knock his legs from under him, but failed, allowing him to grab one arm and spin her around so her back was facing him, her arm twisted in front of her.

"Let…Go!" She tried to get away.

"Look, if you keep fighting like this, you're gonna hurt yourself even more than you already are." He tried pleading with her.

With a grunt, Ailie kicked her foot out, her boot connecting with his knee and allowing his grip to loosen so she could twist away.

"Hey that actually hurt…" He grumbled.

"Well it sure as hell wasn't supposed to feel good!" She swung her fist for his face, nearly connecting if he hadn't moved just in time. "STAY STILL DAMMIT!"

"So you can hit me? I don't think so babe."

This time he moved first, grabbing her fists and using them to gain leverage to shove her against the nearby wall. He hadn't realized how rough he'd been until her felt her back connect and she groaned in pain, her other injuries now aggravated.

Before he could apologize he felt something really sharp tear through his right leg, his hip, and his chest. Stumbling away from Ailie he looked at what had hurt him and froze.

"I suggest…" A cold and familiar voice threatened him. "That you step away from my wife."

Bewildered, the hunter looked up to see his elder brother standing between the two of them, standing protectively in front of Ailie, blue eyes narrowed coldly at him. Holographic blue copies of Sparda's Force Edge hovered in the air, and Dante realized he had been subjected to Vergil's Summoned Swords.

"Look bro, I can explain-"

Before he could finish, Ailie fired her last bullet, this one connecting between the devil hunter's eyes, knocking him unconscious.

"Good shot!"

The pair left standing turned to see their comrades had come back in at that moment, Nero grinning like a fool.

"Are you alright?" Lucia asked anxiously, coming forward to tend to Ailie, who had now slid down the wall and to the floor, breathing heavily.

Vergil turned to look at the woman, who was now looking up at him with a smile.

"You look different." She told him.

Vergil crouched down in front of her, searching her aura and eyes for any signs she had believed any of Dante's ridiculous prattle. He found nothing negative directed towards him and smiled, reaching out to cup her face in his hands.

"And you." He said softly. "Have not changed at all."


	5. Chapter 5

After a few hours, both Ailie and Dante had rested a bit, the man grumbling about the holes in his clothes from Ailie's bullets. Ailie was in her room, being fussed over by a worried Vergil who was trying to be attentive while attempting to give her space. It was not working out well.

"Oh, for Pete sakes will you just come and lie down?" Ailie said as he had just been either standing or pacing around. "I wanna hug you dammit, I'm fine."

"Your ribs are still sensitive, and-"

"Vergil. Dominic. Sparda, get over here." She interrupted, having none of his nonsense.

Upon hearing his full name,the man smiled a bit before stepping towards her.

"First thing...what have you done to your hair?" She asked. "It is not becoming of you. At. All."

"It is temporary, it will wash out." He said.

"Uh-huh, judging by the three inch span of white roots I can see, and the fact it looks like someone threw charcoal in your hair, it looks horrible."

"I began not caring after some time." He admitted. "When I realized you may never heal, and may never remember, I left. That is why I was spotted in the next town."

"You've... Been watching over me?" She asked quietly, voice hitching slightly as she felt she were about to cry.

"I was afraid revealing myself would only cause you more harm." He answered as he came to sit on the bed with her, placing a hand gently against her cheek. "That, and I was so angry at Dante for his decision, I had to stay away, to protect him. Believe me, if I would have known I would be the trigger to help you remember, I would not have hesitated to bust through the front door."

Ailie laughed a bit and placed her hand over his, fingers curling gently around his hand "That is so unlike you." She said. "You would fuss at Nero if he accidentally let the door close too hard."

"Doors are expensive, and so are the people who have to install them." Vergil defended himself. "Besides, Nero did that on purpose. If he thought we believed he couldn't quietly close a door, then we wouldn't worry about him sneaking out."

"Was that why?" She asked, smiling brightly. "Dammit, knew the boy was smart. Then again, he took after his father."

Vergil's face turned serious then, which worried her. "What's the matter?" She asked him.

"You've forgotten..."

"For...gotten, forgot what?" She questioned.

Vergil removed the hand from her face and reached for her hand, tugging on it gently.

"There's one more facet of your memory that needs to be restored." He told her. "I just hope, it was kept safe."


End file.
